Devices for filling fluids and, in particular, drinks have been known from the prior art for some time. In such devices for filling drinks, according to the prior art within the company of the applicant, the in-line proportioning of different media and its filling are physically separated, whereby a connecting line is required between the in-line proportioning and the filling, which cannot be filled without losses.
FIG. 6 shows such a device 100 with a product feed tank 105 in which filling product is added via a supply line 110 and where applicable via a media twist distributor in order to be filled at regular intervals through filler valves 155 arranged on the periphery of the device in container 200. The filling product can be composed of one or more components. Usually the products supplied to the product feed tank 105 are already mixed in the supply line or in a mixer not shown (in-line mixing) and where applicable pasteurised or sterilised by means of a heat exchanger and then supplied to the product feed tank 105 simply via a supply line. In the product feed tank 105 for example the mixing ratio of the two different components is 1+1.
The product feed tank 105 is connected with the filling devices 150 via connecting lines 130. In the connecting lines 130, means (not shown) can be arranged for measuring the filled product quantity e.g. inductive flow meters. The filling device 150 has a filler valve 155. The filler valve 155 is filled with fluid from the mixing tank 105 via connecting line 130. The fluid present in the filler valve 155 can be filled into suitable containers 200 by opening and closing the valve cone of filler valve 155.
In such a device 100 shown in FIG. 6, the problem exists that residue present in the product feed tank 105 and in the connecting line 130 between product feed tank 105 and filling device 150 cannot be filled loss-free into containers 200. This means that if a new filling product is to be added to the product feed tank 105, e.g. with a mixing ratio different from a first product, a residual fluid with the old mixing ratio, for example 1+1, still remains in connecting line 130 between the product feed tank 105 and the filling device 150 as shown in FIG. 6.
The residual fluid with the old mixing ratio, here 1+1, present in the product feed tank 105 and in the connecting line 130 between the product feed tank 105 and the filling device 150, must be drained from the connecting line 130 before the fluid with the new mixing ratio, for example 2+1, can be filled by the filling device 150. For this reason firstly there is always a certain loss of mixed fluid which could be avoided. Secondly in each case there is a certain interruption of the filling process between fluids with different mixing ratios and hence an undesirable time loss in the filling process.
WO 94/06303 shows a method for production of a consumer milk with a defined fat content in packaging. Here two-components are mixed which have milk products but have different fat contents. According to an embodiment the two parts are mixed directly in the packaging. According to another embodiment the two parts are mixed in a separate mixing step immediately before filling into the packaging, in that predetermined quantities of the two-components are mixed which correspond to the size of the packaging or multiples of the packaging.
It may be desirable to provide a device and a method which can fill a continuously mixed product comprising at least two different media loss-free into containers.